3 Braves replacements for Dansby Swanson not named Carlos Correa
By Mark Powell
While Carlos Correa remains available, the Braves should avoid signing him to replace Dansby Swanson. There are better options at play.
Signing Dansby Swanson was never in Atlanta’s best interest, as he was coming off a career-high campaign offensively and was projected (by FanGraphs and more) to regress back to the norm in 2023.
Swanson ended up signing for the bag, if you will. Seven years and $177 million was about $77 million more than Atlanta was willing to spend. Alex Anthopoulos has a history of parting ways with their top free agents, especially if it comes after their arbitration years. Atlanta has the majority of their core, young players signed through the next half-decade.
Swanson was an exception, as he didn’t accept the Braves initial offer. Last spring, Dansby turned down a contract offer, though the details of said extension have yet to be revealed. Based on his new deal with the Cubs, he made the right call.
Atlanta must move on. But where should they looked for a new shortstop?
Braves Dansby Swanson replacements: Not Carlos Correa
Atlanta has several in-house replacements for Dansby Swanson, including 21-year-old Vaughn Grissom. Replacing Swanson won’t be so tough, given his wRC+ was a career high and should regress to the norm.
Correa wants a long-term deal, and far more than the $177 million Swanson signed for. 12 years and $315 million is out of the Braves price range, and they made that clear when they passed on Dansby. Trading for Sean Murphy of the Athletics was their offseason splash. Correa is out of the question.